Light-distributing device.



No. 858,620. PATENTED JULY 2, 1907. J. B. PEARSON. LIGHT DISTRIBUTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1906.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 858,620. PATENTE-D JULY 2. 1907.

J.B.PBARSON. LIGHT DISTRIBUTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. PEARSON, OF STONEHAM,MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO ALBERT W.

' I FULLER, OF OLIFTONDALE, MASSACHUSETTS.

LIGHT-DISTRIBUTIN G DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. PEARSON, of Stoneham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,

' a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Light-Distributing Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a. part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

The occasion very often arises where, if rays of light were properly concentrated and distributed, the rays from one lamp or light might as well or even better accomplish the effect of more. This is especially true of offices where there are desks, or of shops where there is machinery. In such places it is necessaryto throw a strong light upon that portion of the desk or of the machinewhere work is going on, and the custom has been to provide the shop or the office with a number of lights.

It is accordingly the object of my invention to provide a device which by properly concentrating and distributing the rays oflight from one lamp enables it to accomplish the effect of more.

My invention can best be seen and understood by reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the device in side elevation. Fig. 2

shows a vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 shows the re-' flector portion of the device in plan. Fig. 4 shows in vertical section a modified form of reflector made adjustable in construction, and Fig. 5 shows the same in plan.

In the drawings:A represents a shell or casing which is preferably cylindrical in shape and of material through which light.cannot pass. On top of this casing is mounted a head or dome A having inside the same a reflecting surface a. Within the casing, be-

neath the interior reflecting surface of the dome, is a lamp A The lamp shown is a common gas lamp having a mantle, although any kind of lighting device or medium may be used. These parts areassembled and supported in the following manner:

A represents a ring whichconnects with some'suitable fixture of support as a gas pipe A, connection being made in a manner hereinafter explained. This ring fits outside the casing A and said casing is attached to the ring in such manner as to be supported by it. I prefer that the connection be such as to permit'the casing being turned and also aconnection permitting of the casing being easily detached from the ring without disturbing the other parts. Accordingly the ring is shown having an inner annular flange a. This flange has in it openings a which permit the entrance of out-turned flanges a extending from the upper part of the casing so that after these flanges on the casing have been passed Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 5,1906. Serial No. 315.321.

. Patented July 2,1907. V

through these openings, then upon slightly turning the casing, its flanges a will rest upon the upper surface of the flange a of the ring, which accordingly acts as a support for the casing. This connection not-only permits of the casing being very easily detached from the ring, but it also permits of the casing being turned. In order that the casing may be held firmly in position after it has been connected with the ring and turned to any point of adjusted position, a screw a? may be passed through the ring into the casing.

As for the dome or head A, this is supported by the ring by simply resting upon it, the ring having a supporting ledge (1 upon which the dome or head rests and an annular shoulder a which prevents the head from becoming displaced.

As for the lamp A inside the casing, this, also, is supported independently of the casing and the head or dome, in the following mannerz-In the first place it is to be observed that the supporting ring A connects with the fixture or gas pipe A by means of a connecting coupling orblock a. This block may be formed integral with the ring or otherwise connected thereto. The pipe or fixture A makes a threaded connection with this block as does also a pipe or fixture a supporting the lamp A the passages through the pipes A and a being connected through the block. Accordingly it is to be noted that the lamp A is supported by the ring and connection is made through it or the block attached to it for the passage of the gas or even for the entry of wires, in case an electric light is used, independently of the casing and its dome.

At the lower end of thecasingA, so as to lie in a position beneath the reflecting surface of the dome, is what may be termed a reflector A This reflector consists of a supporting base a having one or more reflecting surfaces or faces a so arranged in relative disposition to the reflecting surface a of the dome that the rays of light striking the reflecting surface of the dome will be reflected thereby to the surfaces or faces of the reflector andv from these surfaces be reflected to points outside the casing. In this connection it is to be noted thatthe interior reflecting surface a of the dome is made preferably, of a number of reflecting panels in order that the direction of the rays of light from the lamp may be changed to properly fall upon the surfaces or faces of the reflector.

The reflector is preferably madepyramidal in shape so as to have a plurality of the reflecting surfaces or. faces a whereby the rays of light may be thrown in different. directions, it being noted, of course, that the lower portion of the casing A is cut away in part forming openings which permit of the passage of the rays of light from the surfaces or faces of the reflector to points outside the casing, the rays of light, however, being shut off from passing in a direction intermediate these reflecting surfaces, and in fact, from extending in any Words, keeping the light only on the work and out of the eyes of the one working.

The reflector A is preferably made a part detachable from the casing, being supported to the lower edge thereof by means of connecting chains a or other means of connection. As said before, there may be as many of the reflecting surfaces or faces a as may be required. The inclination and angular arrangement of the surfaces or faces'wiil, of course, depend upon the location of the surrounding objects upon which the light from the lamp is to be thrown. If the objects are arranged in rectangular order of arrangement relatively to the reflector, then its reflecting surfaces or faces will be rectangularly arranged and with the same angle of inclination. If, however, the objects are irregularly arranged with respect to the reflector, then its reflecting surfaces or faces will be correspondingly changed in order that the light may be properly projected upon each of the objects.

Inasm ,ch as objects surrounding the lighting device are generally irregularly arranged, I have provided means whereby the surfaces or faces of the reflector may be changed, in order that the angle of their reflection may be varied, whereby the light may be thrown upon the various irregularly disposed surrounding objects. This construction I have shown in Fig. 4 where there is shown a reflector A having a number of reflecting surfaces 0. independently supported. The reflecting surfaces or faces a are preferably triangular in shape and they are separately supported in the following manner:

The base portion of the reflector comprises an annular ring a which is secured to the bottom part of the casing by chains a or other means of support. Across the ring extend supporting webs a, a. In these webs or bars are formed slots a. In these slots run slides (1 which are held at different points of adjusted position by means of thumb screws a. Fastened to these slides by jointed connections a are arms a. which support the surfaces or faces of the reflector by forming a ball and socket connection a with plates a bearing the same. By this adjustable arrangement the surfaces or faces of the reflector can be independently adjusted to assume practically any desired angular position whereby the light from the reflector may be thrown or projected to cover objects however irregularly arranged.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A device of the character specified having a nontransparent casing with separate openings in the sides thereof and a reflector contained within said casing having faces in line with said openings in the sides of the casing and upon which faces the rays of light from a lamp supported within the casing are directed to fall and be interally reflected through the openings in said casing to points outside the same.

' 2. In a device of the character specified, a casing having separate openings in the sides thereof, a dome to said casing having an interior reflecting surface, a reiiector inside said casing below said reflecting surface of the dome, said reflector having reflecting surfaces adjacent to said openings in the casing and so arranged that rays of light from a lamp inside said casing falling upon the reflecting surface of the dome may be reflected onto the reflecting surfaces of said reflector and thereby be thrown out laterally through said openings formed in said casing.

3. In a device of the character specified, a non trnns parent casing the bottom of which is cut away in part to form separate openings with portions of the casing intermediate said openings, a dome to said casing having an interiorreflecting surface, a reflector inside said casing below said reflecting surface of the dome, said reflector having reflecting surfaces adjacent to said openings in the casing so arranged that rays of light from a lamp inside said casing falling upon the reflecting surface'of the dome may be reflected thereby onto the reflecting surfaces of said reflector and thereby be thrown out laterally through said openings in the casing, and means for supporting said reflector from the bottom of said casing.

4. In a device of the character specified, a nontrans parent casing having an opening or openings therein, a reflector inside said casing having one or more reflecting surfaces upon which rays of light from a lump inside said casing are adapted to fall and be reflected to a point or points outside said casing, and means supporting said casing whereby it may be rotated. v

5. In a device of the character specified, a non-transparent casing having separate openings in the sides thereof, a ring from which said casing hangs dependent, a dome to said casing mounted upon said ring, said dome having an interior reflecting surface, and a reflector inside said casing below said reflecting surface of the dome, said rcflector having reflecting surfaces adjacent to said openings in the casing whereby rays of light from a lamp inside said casing intermediate said reflector and dome falling upon the reflecting surface of the dome may be reflected onto the reflecting surfaces of said reflector and thereby be thrown out laterally through the openings in the sides of the casing. p i

6. A device of the character specified having a casing, a ring having connection with some fixture of support, means for detachably attaching said casing to said ring whereby it may be turned thereon, a dome or head resting upon said ring, said dome or head having an interior refleeting surface, a lamp inside said casing connecting with said ring. a reflector having one or more reflecting surfaces or faces so arranged that rays of light from said lamp failing upon the interior reflecting surface of the dome will be reflected and directed thereby onto the refleeting surface or surfaces of said reflector and thereby be cast to a point or points outside said casing, and menus for attaching said reflector to said casing.

7. In a device of the character specified, a reflector having a plurality of reflecting surfaces or faces, a. base support therefor comprising an annular ring, supporting webs extending crosswise said ring with slots therein, slides adjustably retained in said slots, arms joined to said slides, and a ball and socket jointure joining each of said arms to the surfaces or faces of the reflector or meanscurrying the same, substantially as described.

' JOHN B. PEARSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. R. HAYES,

FnAHEnrr. 

